


Spirit of the Forest

by KeiSense



Category: the GazettE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:40:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26936002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeiSense/pseuds/KeiSense
Summary: Reita’s camping trip takes an unexpected turn when he meets Ruki, The Forest Spirit.
Relationships: Reita/Ruki (the GazettE)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Spirit of the Forest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [@Emmimiu](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=%40Emmimiu).



Reita moved slowly through the woods, trying his best to be as quiet as possible. Even the smallest sound would give him away. He saw movement out of the side of his eye and stopped in his tracks. There, in a small clearing, was his target. A large stag with huge antlers was standing perfectly still, as if giving Reita a chance. It was a chance he wasn’t about to let slip away. He raised his camera and quickly snapped a few photos.

He had been trying for two days to get a picture of any forest animal other than a squirrel and these would be perfect. He smiled as the stag lowered its head to graze on some grass. He took a few more pictures, but stopped when the stag’s head shot up. Something just out of Reita’s view had clearly caught the animal’s attention, though it didn’t seem frightened. As Reita watched, a figure walked into the clearing.

It was a man, though he was beautiful enough to be a woman. Even from a distance, Reita could tell the man was short and thin, almost fragile looking. His dark hair had leaves and flowers entwined in the strands, which flowed down to his waist. He was wearing what could best be described as a simple dress in various shades of brown and his feet were bare.

Reita watched almost hypnotized as the man reached out and stroked the stag’s head. After a few moments, the man began moving through the trees and Reita followed without thinking. He kept his eyes on the beautiful man, though it did occur to him that he should still try to be quiet. If scaring the stag away would have been bad, scaring this man away would be terrible.

Before long, they reached a river running through the woods and Reita hid behind a large tree trunk right at the river’s edge. The strange man was now looking into the water, a small breeze lightly blowing through his hair. Reita was so entranced, he barely noticed something touching his ankle. He let out a loud yelp, however, when he suddenly fell into the water. When he surfaced, he could swear he heard laughing, though it definitely wasn’t coming from the man he’d been watching. That man was staring at him with wide eyes.

“Well, that was embarrassing,” Reita said, wiping his hair out of his eyes. “I must have tripped on a root or something.” The other man was still only staring at him. “My name’s Reita. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Do you have a gun?” the man suddenly asked, his deep voice tense.

“A gun? No. Why would I have a gun?”

“Men come into my forest with guns. They kill my animals without asking permission.”

“Oh, yeah,” Reita replied with a nod. “I’ve never really understood what would be fun about hunting. I’m no vegetarian, but killing for sport never really made sense to me. I only have a camera,” he said, raising the device over his head to show him. “A camera that is now probably ruined.”

“Men often don’t leave these woods, you know,” the man said, clearly threatening Reita.

“I promise, I’m not here to hurt you or any of your animals. What’s your name?”

“Ruki,” the other replied a bit uncertainly.

“Ruki. It’s nice to meet you.” Reita climbed out of the water, making sure to keep a bit of a distance because he could tell Ruki was still nervous. “I would love to continue talking to you. But I also want to get out of these wet clothes and see if I can salvage this camera. Will you come back to my camp with me?” Ruki hesitated, so Reita raised his hands placatingly. “I just want to talk. I promise.”

Ruki nodded and Reita lead him through the trees to his camp. Ruki didn’t make any noise as he walked and Reita found himself frequently looking back to make sure the other man was still following him. He noticed that every time Ruki took a step, anything he’d stepped on immediately sprang back into place, so he didn’t leave any tracks. When they reached Reita’s campsite, Ruki glared at the fire pit disapprovingly.

“I thought I smelled smoke.”

“Is there something wrong with that?” Reita asked curiously. “I always make sure I’m careful with my campfire.”

“Men think they can control fire. But sometimes fire won’t be controlled.”

“Oh. I guess that’s a good point.” Reita ducked into his tent and changed into a dry pair of pants. He grabbed a dry shirt and left the tent. “So, you live here? In the forest?” Reita stripped his wet shirt off as he talked and was pleased to see Ruki staring at his bare torso.

“Yes, the forest is my home,” Ruki replied a bit stiffly. “Why are you here?”

“Why am I in the forest?” Ruki nodded. “Honestly, I needed a break from the city. So, I came out here to just enjoy the beauty of nature.”

“’The beauty of nature’,” Ruki repeated, tilting his head as he examined Reita anew. “You aren’t like the men that usually come here.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Reita chuckled. He took a seat by the fire pit and gestured for Ruki to join him. Ruki lowered himself to the ground gracefully and a bird flitted down from a tree to perch on his shoulder. Reita shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “I hope this isn’t a rude question, but… You aren’t human, are you?”

“No,” Ruki replied with a note of surprise. “How did you figure that out so quickly?”

“Well, it was kind of obvious. The things you say. How comfortable animals are with you. And the fact that you don’t even bend a blade of grass when you walk.” Reita blushed a bit. He really hadn’t intended to be so blunt. But he could see a smile tugging at the corners of Ruki’s mouth and decided he hadn’t crossed any lines. “Are you a forest spirit?”

“I’m _the_ forest spirit,” Ruki replied. “Men often refer to me as Mother Nature.”

“Got that a bit wrong, didn’t we?” Reita said with a laugh.

“You aren’t scared?” Ruki asked with a curious tilt of his head.

“No. Should I be?”

Ruki looked Reita over for a moment as he considered. Finally, he smiled.

“No. I believe you aren’t here to do harm. And you seem to genuinely appreciate natural beauty.” Reita grinned at Ruki’s response and the two spent several hours talking. Reita told Ruki all about his job as a mechanic, and Ruki told Reita about the goings on of the forest. Neither really understood what the other was talking about, but they enjoyed the conversation nonetheless.

“I should let you sleep,” Ruki said as the sun began to set.

“I hate to see you go,” Reita responded. “May I see you again?”

“If you’d like.”

“Well, I don’t know how to find you. So, it’s really if you’d like.” Ruki seemed to hesitate, so Reita acted quickly to reassure him. “Tell you what. I’ll stay here all day tomorrow. You can come and visit me if you want. If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’ll respect your decision and I won’t come looking for you or anything.”

“Then, perhaps I’ll see you tomorrow,” Ruki replied with a small smile. He left Reita alone and disappeared through the trees. He quickly made his way to the river’s edge and took a seat. Moments later, a form appeared out of the water – a river spirit in the shape of a handsome young man – and moved to sit next to him. “Good evening, Aoi.”

“Good evening,” the spirit replied with a sly smirk. “Did you have an interesting afternoon?”

“Very.” Ruki glared at the man next to him. “Why did you pull that man into the water?”

“He was spying on you,” Aoi replied. “I had to protect you.” Aoi’s grin broadened. “Besides, he’s good looking. I knew you would like him. And you could use a companion.”

“Tch. I don’t need a companion.”

“You’re lonely,” Aoi scolded. “I can tell you’re lonely. The whole forest can tell you’re lonely. You’ve never taken a companion and I believe you’ve suffered for it.”

“You should mind your own business,” Ruki huffed. After a moment, he sighed deeply. “I suppose you’re right; I am lonely. But he’s human.”

“Go to him tomorrow,” Aoi said kindly. “Give him a chance.”

* * *

The next day, Reita woke up shortly after sunrise. He ate a cold breakfast because he knew Ruki wouldn’t want him to start a fire. He put on a hoodie and sat on the ground outside his tent, waiting. He couldn’t tell how much time passed. It could have been minutes, or hours. But eventually he felt a hand on his head. He looked up and Ruki was smiling down at him.

“I didn’t hear you,” he said, at a loss for anything else to say.

“Of course you didn’t,” Ruki laughed. He sat next to Reita, much closer than he had the day before.

“I’m happy you came. I was afraid you wouldn’t.”

“I must admit,” Ruki began, taking Reita’s hand in his, “I had to think about it for a while. But… I enjoyed your company yesterday. And I’d like to spend more time with you.” He caught Reita’s eye with a smile, and Reita noticed for the first time that Ruki’s eyes were a bright emerald green. Drawn in by those eyes, Reita stopped thinking. He leaned forward and captured Ruki’s lips in a soft kiss. He pulled away and blushed deeply.

“I-I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have done that. It was completely inappropriate.”

“Reita,” Ruki laughed. “It’s fine. I liked it. It was a bit fast, though.”

“But you didn’t mind?” Reita asked, biting his lip nervously.

“No. I didn’t mind. I’d like it if we could sit together for a while before we do it again, please.”

“Of course,” Reita replied with a grin, throwing his arm around Ruki’s shoulder. Ruki laughed and moved so he was pressed up against Reita’s side. They picked up their conversation from the previous day, but now there was a sense of intimacy. Reita twirled Ruki’s hair around his fingers. Ruki stroked Reita’s other arm under the sleeve of his hoodie. During a comfortable lull in conversation, Reita took a deep breath with his nose buried in Ruki’s hair. “You smell like the woods.”

“What do you mean?” Ruki asked with a laugh.

“You smell like leaves, and tree bark, and soil. It’s nice.”

Ruki laughed again, but moved his head so his nose was right next to Reita’s neck. He inhaled the scent of Reita’s skin deeply.

“You smell like a bird.”

“A bird?!?”

“Yes. Like sunshine. And wind. And freedom.”

“You sound kind of sad,” Reita said, squeezing Ruki more tightly. “Are you not free?”

“I don’t know. I’ve been here so long. I’ve always been in this forest, even as men built their towns and then cities nearby. I’ve never tried to leave. I don’t know if I could.”

“Would- would you like to try?”

“Where would I go if I could leave?”

“I have an idea,” Reita replied, pulling back so he could look Ruki in the eye. “Let me take you home with me. Let me show you the human world.”

“I would like that.” Ruki smiled up at Reita and stroked his cheek. “How about tomorrow? We’ll see if I can even leave the woods. And if I can, I’ll go to this city you mentioned. What was it called?”

“Tokyo. Tomorrow, we’ll go to Tokyo. Will you stay here with me tonight?”

“Yes, I will. But…” Ruki trailed off, clearly uncomfortable.

“I promise, I’ll be a perfect gentleman.” Reita ran his thumb over Ruki’s bottom lip. “I know I went too fast earlier. But we won’t do anything you don’t want to.”

“Thank you.” Ruki nuzzled his face against Reita’s shoulder, allowing the larger man to hold him as tightly as he wanted.

* * *

Ruki clung desperately to Reita’s waist. Though Reita had assured him that he would keep him safe, the machine was loud, and they were moving much too quickly. Ruki couldn’t even bring himself to watch the scenery as they zoomed past it. When they finally stopped, and Reita turned off the clamorous device, Ruki still couldn’t bring himself to let go.

“We’re here,” Reita said with a smile, gently loosening Ruki’s grip. Ruki let go and slowly lifted his head from Reita’s shoulder. His eyes widened as he looked up and he took in the city around him. He climbed off the back of the motorcycle and stared slack-jawed at his surroundings. Reita laughed and took his hand. “It’s about as different from home as you could get, isn’t it?”

“You told me about it. But I don’t think I understood what it’s really like.”

“Are you okay?” Reita asked, wrapping his arms around the smaller man.

“Yes,” Ruki replied with a nervous chuckle. “What should we do first?”

Reita took Ruki to his favorite ramen restaurant, where Ruki watched Reita eat with a smile. Then they took Reita’s camera to a repair shop and Reita introduced Ruki to manga. Ruki had trouble keeping up because the pants he’d borrowed from Reita were too big, and he was constantly having to pull them up so he didn’t trip. He reluctantly allowed Reita to buy him a couple of outfits, just so he could be more comfortable. By the time the sun set, Ruki was completely exhausted. Reita bought himself a small dinner from a convenience store and they went to his apartment for the rest of the night. When it came time for bed, Ruki dressed in one of Reita’s extra big t-shirts and settled into the other man’s arms.

“How do you like the city?” Reita asked.

“It’s… overwhelming. There are so many people and noises.”

“You hated it, didn’t you?”

“I’m sorry,” Ruki responded, biting his lip nervously. “I tried to like it. Maybe in time.”

“It’s okay, Ruki,” Reita said, rubbing the other’s back. “I understand. I’ll take you somewhere special tomorrow. Somewhere I know you’re going to love.”

“Is there such a place in Tokyo?”

“There are plenty of places I think you’d like. But this one in particular.” He held Ruki closer. “Why do I feel so comfortable with you?”

“I don’t know,” Ruki replied dreamily. “It doesn’t make any sense. We just met. But I’m comfortable with you, too.” They held each other, kissing softly until Reita fell asleep. Ruki was surprised to find himself having trouble keeping his own eyes open. He was even more surprised when Reita woke him up the next morning. He hadn’t remembered going to sleep.

They took a quick train ride to a different part of the city. Ruki hated being inside the train. It was full of people pressing against him, and he found himself clinging to Reita like a child afraid of being lost. They got off the train and Reita lead Ruki out of the station. As soon as they were outside, Ruki could already hear more familiar sounds – birds, water bubbling, and the sound of plants taking nutrients from light and soil. They went up a set of stairs and were immediately surrounded by greenery.

“Welcome to Ueno Park,” Reita exclaimed, grinning widely. “There are museums, shops, a zoo, a lake, and as many trees as anyone could wish for.”

“Reita,” Ruki said breathlessly. “This is incredible. We’re still in Tokyo?”

“Of course! You can tell because there’s still people everywhere.”

Ruki laughed as he allowed Reita to lead him further into the park. They walked around the park the whole day, Ruki grinning broadly the whole time. Reita was happy to see Ruki enjoying himself. When they returned to Reita’s apartment that night, Ruki yawned happily.

“Thank you,” he said, cuddling up next to Reita in bed. “You were right; I loved it.”

“I knew you would. See? There are good things about my world.”

“I already knew there was something good in your world. There’s you.” Ruki grinned as Reita blushed. “What will we do tomorrow?”

“I don’t know. We’ll figure something out.” Reita kissed Ruki, and they spent the rest of the night very much like the previous night, though this time Ruki was the first to fall asleep.

* * *

Reita woke up just before dawn the next day. He climbed out of bed to get a glass of water and drank it in the kitchen. He was about to return to bed when he noticed the plant in his living room was dead. It had been healthy enough before he went on his camping trip, but now it looked like it had been dead for weeks.

He went back to his room, but a niggling thought made him turn on the light. He couldn’t help the feeling that there was something wrong with Ruki. He quickly realized his suspicions were correct. Ruki’s skin was tinged slightly gray and his lips were almost completely colorless.

“Ruki!” He crawled into bed, trying to wake Ruki gently. When the other man didn’t wake immediately, Reita shook him hard. “Ruki, please wake up!” Ruki groaned and opened his eyes.

“Reita,” he said weakly. 

“Are you okay? What’s going on?”

“I think something’s wrong.”

“What can I do?” Reita was almost in a panic. “Can I get you a doctor?”

“I need to go home. Please, take me home.”

Reita helped Ruki into his car, not trusting that Ruki would be able to hold onto him on the back of his motorcycle. He quickly wound the car through the mountain roads leading to the forest. As soon as he came to a point where he could park close to the trees, he stopped the car and lifted Ruki out of the passenger seat. Ruki’s breathing was labored and he wouldn’t open his eyes, and Reita suddenly worried that they were too late. His concerns grew when he saw that the trees on the edge of the forest looked sick, almost like they were rotting where they stood. He laid Ruki on the ground under a tree and waited. He didn’t have to wait long. Color immediately rushed to Ruki’s face and he took a deep breath.

“Ruki? Are you okay?”

“Yes, Reita.” Ruki opened his eyes and smiled softly at the other man. “I’ll be fine now. Thank you.” He stood up with Reita’s help, and they watched as the trees around them grew healthy before their eyes. “I’m sorry, Reita. I didn’t know that would happen. I should have had you bring me back the moment I realized something was wrong. But you were so happy to have me there.”

“When did you first realize you needed to come back?”

“The first night,” Ruki replied, looking down in shame. “I fell asleep. I’ve never slept before. That was a pretty clear indication.”

“You should have told me.” Reita pulled Ruki into a hug. “I would have brought you back right away.”

“That’s why I didn’t tell you,” Ruki laughed. He pulled out of the hug and took Reita’s hands. “Thank you for showing me your world. I’ll always hold those memories dear. Along with the memories of the last few days with you.”

“You’re talking like we’re never going to see each other again.”

“I think that might be best.” Ruki had tears in his eyes as he squeezed Reita’s hands. “I can’t be in your world. How could we…” Ruki’s voice caught in his throat.

“Ruki, please.” Reita leaned in and kissed Ruki with closed eyes. He felt the other man pull away and when he opened his eyes, Ruki was gone.

* * *

Ruki sat at the river’s edge, watching a bird flit about in some reeds. He barely heard the stag walk up behind him, but he smiled when it nuzzled against his cheek. He stroked the animal’s head distractedly.

“He can tell you’re sad,” Aoi said, appearing next to Ruki out of the water. “I’m sorry. I didn’t think you would fall truly in love with him.”

“I didn’t,” Ruki protested, but Aoi only chuckled.

“You almost brought winter early. You’ve been grieving for him without pause since you last saw him. That’s love, my friend.”

“What could I have done differently?” Ruki sighed heavily. “I can’t go to him. He could come here, from time to time, aging before my eyes as I stayed the same. And one day, he would die. What would I do then?”

“We would bury him in your soil,” Aoi replied. “He would become a part of it, a part of you, forever.”

After talking with Aoi for a while, Ruki left the riverside and walked aimlessly through the trees. Aoi was right; he did fall in love with Reita. It had been weeks since he’d left Reita at the tree line, and he couldn’t get the man off his mind. But he knew there was nothing he could do now.

Ruki’s attention was pulled from his thoughts by the smell of smoke. It could be a campfire, or it could be something worse. He had to investigate. He moved quickly through the trees, searching for the source of the smell. He came upon a clearing and sighed in relief. It was just a campfire. As he watched, a man emerged from the tent set up near the fire.

“Reita?” Ruki walked into the clearing, not believing what he was seeing.

“Ah, there you are,” Reita said with a grin. He quickly kicked dirt over the fire to smother it. “I thought that would get your attention.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Making plans for building a shelter. I know you don’t need protection from the elements, but I will.” His smile fell and he became serious. “I’m sorry I stayed away so long. I had to sort out my affairs back in the city.”

“Your affairs?”

“Yes. I had to quit my job. And let my sister know that she wouldn’t be seeing me as often. I can go back occasionally, I’m sure.”

“Are you…” Ruki stared at Reita in shock. “Are you saying you’re going to stay here?”

“Yes. If you’ll allow me.” Reita laughed at Ruki’s expression. “Please say you’ll allow it. I would be in a terribly awkward situation if you didn’t.” Ruki drew closer and Reita took his hands. “I love you, Ruki. If you can’t come to my world, I’ll make your world mine.”

“I can’t believe this.” Ruki laughed with happy tears in his eyes. “I love you, too. Please stay with me.”

Reita drew Ruki into his arms and they kissed. A warm breeze blew through the trees. Birds sang cheerfully. Animals grazed contentedly. And in the river, Aoi smiled to himself.


End file.
